Arnold Palmers and Crazy Science
by aurelius-hurriya
Summary: AU. Cosima meets Delphine for the first time when they decide separately to hit the beach after finals. Instant chemistry.


Cosima lifted and settled her towel on the hot sand and flopped down unceremoniously on her stomach. After a hellish week of finals, she was finally able to take advantage of the gorgeous weather and hit the beach.

It was pure heaven. Although she was on a grad student's budget, she had packed herself a metal canteen of ice-cold iced tea and a monstrous sandwich made with rosemary garlic bread from the day-old section at the grocery store.

The crashing of waves and the gentle murmur of the other beachgoers were a stark contrast to the deathly science of the library and the tip-tap of fingers on keyboards.

With her dreads were tucked up into a bun, the sea breeze felt delicious on her neck and ears. She could feel the stress draining out of her shoulders and neck. She gave her shoulders a few small circles for good measure and tucked her face deeper into the towel, allowing the warm sun to soak into her back and the cool sand beneath the surface to hold her toes.

_Bliss_.

The shriek of a seagull wrenched Cosima out of her catnap and she twitched into wakefulness. Groaning, she removed the sunglasses from her face and felt for lines. Yup, there were definitely imprints on her face. Whatever. She felt much better after that twenty minute nap. Maybe a little lethargic and maybe a little sunburned, but what else is summer for?

Rising up on her elbows, she glanced around the beach. The din had grown louder, and the beach was filling up fast. She congratulated herself at arriving in time to snag a good spot, and sat up to face the water.

Cosima allowed a grin to take over her face as she gazed out at the sun on the water. She had always loved the ocean, and while this lake was no Pacific Ocean, she had been thrilled to find a sandy place to stretch out so close to the University.

"So sorry to disturb you," came a lilting, accented voice from above her.

Cosima looked up into the stranger's face, but the sun was glancing off the woman's blonde hair and she had to shield her eyes.

"But I'm wondering if I could set my towel down here?" the woman continued pleasantly, indicating the stretch of sand beside Cosima.

"Please, help yourself."

The woman smiled in response, kicking off her sandals and dropping gracefully onto her towel. She reclined with a soft sigh of pleasure, Cosima noticing the woman's beautiful hair and her toes wiggling under the sand.

They sat in silence for a moment, the blonde lost in the sheer pleasure of being in the sun by the beach, and Cosima lost in the curves and lines of the woman's body, gawking as the blonde stretched her legs out and pushed her toes deeper into the sand.

"Merde," the blonde muttered suddenly, sitting up and reaching for her purse. She sifted through the contents but didn't find what she was looking for.

She turned sheepishly to Cosima, who had been not-so-subtly watching the movements of her new neighbor.

"I don't suppose you have any -"

"Sunscreen?" supplied Cosima with a grin, holding up a bottle and offering it to the blonde.

The blonde smiled widely and her eyes crinkled. "Delphine," she said, taking the bottle.

"Cosima."

"Enchantee, and, thank you," said Delphine, lifting the bottle slightly.

"No problem. I was in such a rush to get to the beach today, it's a miracle _I_ remembered to bring sunscreen."

"Were you meeting someone?" asked Delphine, holding the bottle of sunscreen in one hand and rubbing the white cream into her shoulder and onto her chest with the other.

"Oh no," said Cosima, trying to force her eyes away from leering at the other woman's hands and neck. "I just, uh, finished up finals and was desperate for some R&R and a change of scenery."

Delphine's eyebrows pulled together visibly.

"R and R?"

"Yeah, rest and relaxation?" said Cosima.

"Ah, yes, I understand," replied the blonde, as she squeezed another ounce of sunscreen into her hand and began applying it to her legs. "Those fluorescent lights in the library are, how do you say, killer."

"Totally. So you're a student, too?" Cosima felt her heartbeat racing and heat in her ears and cheeks.

Mercifully, Delphine had finished with her legs and had removed her sunglasses in preparation for the less-sexy application of sunscreen to her face.

"Oui," came Delphine's voice from behind her hands. "I am in the immunology department."

_Oh god, she's a scientist_, though Cosima. _An attractive scientist_.

"What about you?"

Cosima swallowed. "Evo devo."

Delphine's head angled slightly, like a puppy, and she looked into Cosima's face as she rubbed the last bit of sunscreen on her ears.

"Evo...ah, evolutionary development! It's so nice to meet another female scientist. I don't remember seeing you on campus or in the lab."

Delphine finally snapped the cap back onto the bottle and handed it back to Cosima with a shy smile.

"But I wish I had," she said, making eye contact.

"Totally. Obvs," replied Cosima, unable to look away, the bottle of sunscreen warm in her hands.

Delphine grinned before turning away, and Cosima took the opportunity stow the bottle back in her bag.

Cosima had never been one to avoid making her attraction known, but at the moment she was feeling a little unsure of herself. This woman was obviously intelligent, incredibly attractive, and a scientist. And French, if her guess was correct. _What the hell?_ Cosima thought, pulling out the canteen of iced tea.

"Would you like, uh" - the words died on her lips. Delphine had pulled off her tunic and was now laying back to reveal a burgundy bikini and a beautifully toned stomach. Delphine turned toward Cosima, waiting for her to finish her question.

"I've got iced tea?" Cosima said.

Delphine turned away from Cosima and propped herself up on one elbow, digging around in her own purse once again.

Cosima watched curiously, and as the seconds passed, she felt more and more insecure. _Maybe she's letting me down easy_.

"Uh, okay, I guess I'll leave you to it, then."

Delphine's head whirled around and she reached out her hand to rest momentarily on Cosima's bare arm.

"No! Non, non, sorry, I'm just looking for something..."

Cosima sat still, allowing the heat of the blonde's touch and the temporary whisper of Delphine's fingers against her skin to tease the butterflies in her stomach into higher loops and curls.

"Aha!" Delphine declared triumphantly, thrusting a thermos of her own into the air with a sneaky smile.

"Lemonade!"

"DUDE," Cosima said. "Brilliant. You're brilliant. Do they even have Arnold Palmers in France?"

Delphine held out the lid of her thermos and Cosima poured in some of her iced tea.

"I spent some time in Georgia many years ago. I thought it was so American, and it appealed to the scientist in me, combining such different elements into one delicious result," the blonde replied, filling the rest of Cosima's canteen with lemonade from her own.

The waves crashed and a child shrieked happily.

"Well then," said Cosima, leaning with one hand on her towel and extending her canteen toward Delphine.

"Here's to making crazy, delicious science together," Cosima continued, grinning at Delphine.

"To crazy science," Delphine echoed and clinked their containers together.


End file.
